Living the Lectionary is a weekly devotional tool intended to give you ideas for living out the Word of God that we encounter on Sundays in worship.
About this Season and Series: Advent – “The WAIT” – Advent is a time of considering the wisdom of “delayed gratification”. We recognize that there is wisdom and health that comes from waiting to be contented. Advent shows us a picture of that wisdom as we wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come. 
About the week starting November 29th: First Sunday in Advent – The VOID – “Want” is a natural part of the human experience. What our hearts cry out for in “wants” tells us something about who we are. Law: We often don’t want the right things, or we want too much of them. Our wants are inherently broken as a part of our sinful nature. Gospel: God assures us that we will have no more wants and finally be contented in the Resurrection.
Reflecting on the Readings (readings are linked to text on ESVbible.com)
Jeremiah 33:1-16– Righteousness in the Void – Jeremiah’s prophecy describes how God renews His covenant and gives His righteousness in the midst of the wasteland of the Hebrew people. Where are the “wastelands” of your life? How might God’s righteousness spring up as a branch in the midst of your wasteland?
Psalm 25:1-10– The Void of Sins – Sins actually take away from our being. They make us hollow. When the Psalmist requests of God to remember not his sins, he asks God to then fill him up with teaching and righteousness. What might be the teaching and righteousness that fills up the void left by your sins?
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 – Longing – Paul longs to see his Thessalonian friends and longs to see them face to face. Who do you long to see? How might you pray for them?
Luke 21:25-39– Look to the Signs – In the midst of our wants and desires, Jesus shows us signs of those things becoming completed in Resurrection. In the same way that a tree begins to show its buds, the Kingdom of God found in the Church shows the buds of the Resurrection. What are the signs in the Church that you see of the perfection that you desire in the Resurrection?
Living the Lectionary Ideas
Knowledge: We are at the beginning of a new Church Year. This year is Series C, and the dominant Gospel text is Luke. What do you know about Luke and his writings of the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles? How could you learn more?
Skill: Jesus tells His disciples to look to the trees and to notice when the seasons are changing as a metaphor for looking to see what God is doing. How can you get better at the skill of discernment and seeing what God is up to in your neighborhood or home?
Character: Paul displays a character of wanting and praying for the Thessalonians in the Epistle reading. How might you further develop a character that deeply wishes the best for others?
Local: As the seasons change, take an opportunity to look for ways in which you can be a practical service to your neighbors or give them some practical good in relation to the seasons changing.